Internal-combustion engine.



H. I'. BOOK-1 INTERNAL OOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU; 20, 1909.

Patented Nov.8,1910.

P u N m m P PISTON DOWN HERMAN F. BOOK, 0F ANTIOCH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO FRANK SEVERIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTIN ENGINE.

Patented N ov. 8, 19M). 534,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. BooK, citizen of the United States, residing at Antioch, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for its general object the provision of means for dividing the combustion and expansion chamber into two noncommunicating compartments duri the time or part of the time that the piston 1s in the act of compressing the air, the piston operating in one compartment to effect compression, and the fuel, such as kerosene or other low grade oil, (to which I do not wish to be limited, however), being admitted to the other compartment when such other compartment is out of communication with the compression compartment, this fuel being desirably admitted during compression, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the admission of fuel during compression. When the desired degree of compression of the air in the compression compartment has been attained, the means that is employed to separate the compartments is operated to throw them into free communication, thereby, in eifect,es tablishing a single chamber that constitutes the combustion and expansion chamber. Combustion and .expansion is effected when the compression `and fuelcompartments are thrown into one, the air -under compresslon then having free access throughout the space that initially received Vthe fuel and the fuel having free access tol the spade in which l compression occurred. Hitherte, the combustion space wasincluded within 'a single chamber nondivisible into compartments, the fuel being admitted thereto during at least a part of the time that compression was being `eected, whereby many dlsadvantages followed which are well recogmzed b y those skilled in the art.v .Among these dlsadvantages were the necessity of forcingthe fuel into the compression space under high pressure, the imperfect vaporlzatlon of the fu strike upon and How down the wall surfaces el due largely to the fact that it would -structure through which the fuel of the combustion space, and untimely preignition of the fuel. Other disadvantages are so well known as ot to require mention.

By means of my invention, the'fuel may preferably be admitted to its compartment of the combustion chamber against atmospheric pressure only, there then being required only a few ounces of pressure to force the fuel into its compartment. The fuel may readily be vaporized or atomized before it has opportunity to mingle with the air under compression and is also well heated by the hot wall portions of its compartment of the combustion chamber before this compartment is thrown into communication with the compression compartment so that when the fuel is acted upon by the air under compression, it is in most favorable condition for combustion.

The means which I employ for dividing the combustion chamber into fuel receiving and air compressing compartments resides in a valve that may be operated by engine actuated eccentric mechanism.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is asectional elevation of so much of an engine structure as is necessary to an understanding of my invention, the balance of t-he structure being so well known by those skilled in the art as not to require illustration; Fig. 2 is a view in cross section illustrating Va novel construction of the asses to the fuel compartment; and Fig. 3 1s a diagram showing the time relations of the operations of the valve that I have employed for intermittently separating the combustion chamber into two compartments as compared with other operations which are well known.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference in Figs. l andl 2.

I have illustrated a portion -of a two cycle engine but I do not wish to limit the use of my invention thereto. The shown only in part, as is also the piston b which is shown very close'to the upper limit -of its stroke, the air being compressed in the space c located above a vertlcal en ine, to whic however, the mvention is not imited. The space c is a part of the combustion and expansion chamber space,

the piston, the pan' tlcular engine being. described being cylinder a is lin the art, as for exam the combustion and expansion chamber also including the hollow ignition ball d, to which the invention is not limited, and a hollow extension ff'of the structural portion d.

A valve seat g is formed in the end of the portion f which is nearest the piston b, a valve l1, being shown at rest upon this seat in order to separate the portion c of the combustion chamber space from the balance of the combustion chamber space contained in the elements d and f. The valve h remains seated thus to divide the combustion chamber into two noncommunicating compartments during the time that the piston b is in the act of compressing the air above it as indicated by the diagram, Fig. 8. During the time that the valve la, is seated, a fuel conveying annular channel k in the valveh is in communi cation at h2 with the interiors ofthe portions d and f and is also in communication with a fuel duct h3, through which fuel Ais pumped during the time or during a sufficient portion of the time that the valve 7L is seated, a few ounces of pump pressure upon the fuel being sufiicient to force it within the hollow interiors of the portions d and f through the clearance h2 in the valve seat g. The fuel is thus received within the hollow of the ignition ball l and its extension f during a time when the air within these portions d and f is not under compression, ample opportunity being afforded for proper vaporization of the fuel and the proper heating thereof by the parts d and f which are in a constantly heated condition when the engine is in operation. Since there is no air under compression in the presence of the fuel above the valve h, there is no reasonable possibility of untimely ignition. The fuel is well heated during the time that the valve Zz. is closed so as to be prepared for thorough intermixture with the air under compression when the valve is opened. When the com pression has been completed, the valve h is opened by any suit-able mechanism which would readily be supplied by those skilled le by an eccentric rod actua'ted by an engine driven eccentric and 1n turn operating a lever la to press upon the valve stem Z in opposition to a sprlng fm, that acts to seat the valve when the lever k is moved from the stem by the eccentric.

As indicated in the diagram, the valve la, may be opened just before the piston reaches the upper limit of its travel, in order that the-explosion may occur before the piston reaches the upper limit of its travel, but I do not wish to be limited to particular relative times when the functions of the engine are accomplished.

When .the valve h opens, the compartments previously se arated thereby are merged into one com ustion chamber,` the air under compression in the space c findingA access to the fuel-receiving space and the fuel in turn findin access to the space 0 the result being a t orough intermixture o compressed air and fuel due to the violent agitation furnished by the compressed air in rushing through the valve port, and a highly effective combustion of the fuel. The fuel is desirably admitted through a conduit having a cylindrical bore in communication with a supply of fuel which is preferably pumped through said bore, though I do not wish to be limited to the use of pumped fuel. This bore contains a rod 'n which is polygonal in cross section and which terminates in a handle 0 in order that the rod may be revolved, the edges of the polygonal portion of the rod then scraping the cylindrical bore to clean the same. The rod may remain constantly within said bore, since thespaces that intervene between the same and the surface of the bore may be made to be-suilicient to convey the fuel. The outer end of the rod is round and passes through a stuffing box p to prevent the escape of fuel.

A very important specific characteristic of the invention resides in the provision of a lodging place for the fuel or a portion of the fuel adjacent to the separating valve when said valve is closed. As illustrated in the drawing, this lodging place may be the annular groove h in the valve and the upper surface of the valve adjacent to the valve seat. Under normal conditions, a considerable portion of the fuel is thus held adjacent to the valve port so that when the valve is opened, the air rushing through the valve portv from the'compression compartment c thoroughly atomizes and vaporizes this portion of the fuel. l

In operating my engine, there may be slight leakage when the valvel is closed, such for example as might abe due to a clearance of a thousandth of an inch between the valve andits seat. I therefore do not desire to restrict myself to an engine in which there is absolutely no leakage between the two compartments when the valve is closed.

While I have herein sh'own and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not' wish to bellimited to the precise details of construction'shown, ,as

changes may readily be made without' departing from the spirit of the invention, but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new andv desire` to securerby Letters Patent the following "f 1. An internal combustionfengine' l ing a combustion and expansion chamben# means for separatlng said chamber iiiitosdis .iv tmct compartments whenV vcompression oc-j-` .I

curs and for restablishing communication.'

between said compartments sion has been eected to'permit of forcible l flow from the compression compartmentfto the companion compartment, al piston movmasa ing in one of said compartments and serving therein to effect compression While the two compartments are separated, and means for supplying fuel to the other compartment.

2. An internal combust-ion engine including a combustion and expansion chamber, a valve operated by the engine for separating said chamber into distinct compartments when compression occurs and for reestablishing communication between said compartments when compression has been ef- 'fected to permit of forcible flow from the compression compartment to the companion compartment, a piston moving in one of said compartments and serving therein to effect compression while the two compartments are separated, and means for supplying fuel to the other compartment while said compartments are separated by said valve.

3. An internal combustion engine including a combustion and expansion chamber, a valve intermittently operated by the engine for intermittently separating said chamber into distinct compartments in one of which the piston moves, and means for supplying fuel to the other compartment when said chamber is divided into separate compartments by said valve, said valve having a fuel containing channel communicating with the fuel receiving compartment.

4.' An internal combustion engine including a combustion and expansion chamber, a valve intermittently operated by the engine forintermittently separating said chamber into distinct compartments in one of which the piston moves, and meansfor supplying fuel to the other compartment when said chamber is divided into separate compartmentsby said valve, there being lodging place for the fuel adjacent to the valve and located in the path followed by the air moving from the compression compartment to the fuel compartment.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of December A. D. 1909.

HERMAN F. BOOK. 

